In this review, we will be comparing 5040 and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Q Acoustics and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Q Acoustics 5040 and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Q Acoustics 5040 | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Q Acoustics
United Kingdom · founded 2006 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 39-30k Hz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91.5 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-1/8" x 14-1/4" x 11-1/2"
969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Q Acoustics 5040 and SVS Prime Tower speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 5040 is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Tower is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Q Acoustics 5040SVS Prime Tower
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
5040 features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuous Curved Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
5040 has a frequency range of 39-30k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 5040's min frequency of 39Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
5040 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Prime Tower which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. 5040 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Q Acoustics 5040 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 5040 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Prime Tower.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
5040 features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Q Acoustics 5040's Binding post terminals
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 5040 and Prime Tower have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Q Acoustics 5040's and SVS Prime Tower's external dimensions. Q Acoustics 5040 has external dimensions of 969.0 x 362.0 x 293.0mm (38-1/8inch x 14-1/4inch x 11-1/2inch) whereas SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
SVS Prime Tower is 158mm narrower and 38mm shorter than Q Acoustics 5040 but it is also 4mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Q Acoustics 5040 and SVS Prime Tower in scale.
Comparison image of Q Acoustics 5040 and SVS Prime Tower Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Q Acoustics 5040 is approximately 1060.7cm2 / 164.4inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The 5040 requires 75% more surface area than the Prime Tower which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Q Acoustics 5040 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the Prime Tower 1% heavier than the 5040.
Here is a comparison of how 5040 and Prime Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Q Acoustics 5040?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 5040:
- 1x 5040 loudspeaker
- 1x Owners manual
- 2x Foam bung
- 4x Spike feet
- 4x Spike cover
- 4x M5 screw
- 2x Rear stabiliser
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
39 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
931mm
vs
969mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2
vs
1060cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Q Acoustics 5040 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Q Acoustics |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91.5 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.0 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
39-30k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuous Curved Cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2500 Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
969.0mm (38.1") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
362.0mm (14.3") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
293.0mm (11.5") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Relfex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Holme Oak,Satin Black,Satin White,Santos Rosewood |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Q Acoustics 5040 is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 39Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Q Acoustics 5040 is more sensitive (92dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Prime Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | SVS Prime Tower is easier to place; Q Acoustics 5040 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. SVS Prime Tower sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,498 vs $1,400 a pair). |
A Q Acoustics 5040 B SVS Prime Tower
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
SVS Prime Tower has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 39Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Q Acoustics 5040 the better fit for a mid-size room, and SVS Prime Tower for a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.